Chocolate Genoise

A genoise is like a angel food cake, very light and fluffy. It only has a little flour in it. The main base of the cake is made of eggs whipped to three times the volume.

Recipe
6 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
6 large eggs, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Position rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350. Line bottom of a 9 x 3-inch springform pan with wax paper.
2. In small saucepan, bring butter to boil on medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand.
3. Sift flour and cocoa together 3 times. Return to sifter and set aside.
4. In a metal bowl, whisk eggs and sugar by hand. Place over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir constantly with whisk, heat the egg mix until hot to touch and sugar is dissolved.
5. Remove from heat. Beat on high with electric mixer until the eggs triple in volume and looks like softly whipped cream, about 3 minutes.
6. Skim foam from top of butter. Reheat butter just until it is hot. Pour butter into a glass measuring cup, leaving the bits of milk solids behind in the pan. You should have 1/4 cup melted clarified butter. Pour butter into a medium bowl and add vanilla.
7. Sift 1/3 of flour mix over the eggs. Using a rubber spatula, fold together, quickly but gently, until nearly combined. Repeat 2 more times until all flour mix is combine. Scoop about a cup of the batter into the hot butter and fold together until well blended. Pour the butter mix into the batter and fold it in until completely mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
   
8. Bake for 25-30 min, insert toothpick, it should come out clean.
9. Let cool on wire rack until pan is cooled. Run knife around the inside of pan and remove the side of pan. Flip over and remove bottom of pan and the paper

Chocolate Glaze
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1. In saucepan, heat the cream over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Place chocolate in a medium bowl and pour hot cream over it.
2. Let stand for a few min to soften the chocolate, then stir gently until smooth and melted. (If you're having trouble getting it smooth feel free to put it through a sifter.) Do not whisk or beat the ganache, or you will make bubbles that will show up in the glazed cake.
   
3. Using a metal icing spatula, spread very thin layer of glaze over cake to fill in any cracks and smooth the surfaces.
4. Rewarm glaze over simmering water, stirring until smooth and the consistency of think heavy cream.
5. Pour all of glaze onto center of the cake. Working quickly, use just 2 or 3 strokes to spread the glaze over the cake so it runs over the sides, rotating as you spread. Use the spatula to scoop up any dripped glaze and touch it to any bare spots on the sides of the cake. Jiggle the cake to settle the glaze. Do not respread the glaze once it has started to set, or the glaze will have marks.
6. Let stand at room temp until the glaze sets, about 15 min.

Recipes from "The Baker's Dozen Cookbook".

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